From this village Robledo continued his march. His followers numbered a hundred Spaniards, horse and foot. He went on until he came to the borders of the province. The natives, having had notice of the approach of the invaders, had hidden their supplies, and had concealed themselves in ravines, and in the most secret places of their land. The captain, after having sent up the baggage from the river to the heights where they were, and having got all the Spaniards together, ordered the swiftest among them to make ready, and then sent them out to search for the natives. Although the latter were well concealed the runners took more than 200 persons. The captain spoke very kindly to them, through the interpreters he had brought with him. These were three Indian women named Barbola, Antona, and Catalina. As the captain knew that I was curious to learn the secrets of the Indians he gave Catalina to me, that I might more easily acquire the knowledge I sought. He told the Indians that they should render obedience to the King and be friends with the Christians, and that it was desirable there should be conferences on the subject. In order that they might understand that faith would be kept with them, he ordered them all to be set free, telling them to ask their Chiefs to come and confer with him.
When the people throughout the province understood that the Spaniards had set their prisoners free, and that they had come to form a new settlement, several Chiefs and principal men came and were well received by the captain, who began to treat with them, hoping that it would please God to bring all the natives of the province to an attitude of peace. From these Indians it was ascertained that Spaniards like themselves were coming from the Ocean Sea, that they had many horses, and were capturing and killing the Indians. Robledo, on hearing this, consulted with his principal officers, and it was decided to seek out a site and found a city; for, peradventure, it might not be people of Cartagena who were coming, and it would be well to anticipate them, and be first to form a settlement. So the captain Ruy Vanegas, with twenty Spaniards, horse and foot, set out to find a site, followed by Robledo and the rest. Before we go on any farther, it will be well to relate what people those were who were coming.